Sound Designer

Seeking a Sound Designer (with composition skills a plus!)to work alongside Director Joshua W. Kelley (National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Pace University) and Artistic Producer Ali Skye Bennet (current Associate Producer at Vineyard Theatre, former Producing Coordinator & Company Manager for Transport Group Theatre Company) on THE UNTITLED GINSBERG PROJECT, a collaboratively generated theatrical response to Allen Ginsberg's groundbreaking poem "Howl." A workshop / development phase is slated for early 2014, followed by a full-scale, world-premiere production in New York City and “Footsteps of Ginsberg” tour across the country.

As integral members of the creative team, the Designers will be intimately involved in the authoring of this piece during the workshop / development phase, which we are calling “Phase 1.” Inspired by The Theatre of Images and Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty, we are seeking artists who are comfortable with the role of “playwright” -- the mise-en-scene as vital to the storytelling as Ginsberg’s words and the actors’ bodies. Ideal candidates will be innovative, imaginative, and collaborative artists with a real do-it-yourself kind of attitude, who are excited by long-term devised work and being a part of the ongoing critical-creative dialogue about the world we are creating in conjunction with the work being done by actors in a rehearsal room. We are particularly interested in hybrid artists, individuals who want to tackle two or more of the design roles and/or bring other skills to the table, such as puppetry design, musical composition, and sculpture. Unlike a more traditional theatrical process, we are aiming to develop a core creative team to work closely together throughout The Untitled Ginsberg Project’s entire development.

This is a real “passion project” -- the passion & drive to collaboratively create, nurture, develop, and produce new, exciting theatrical work is essential. The Designers must be able to work well as team players with the other lead artists, but also be able to work independently. Flexibility and “out-of-the-box” thinking is essential, as well as the ability to quickly adapt with the unique and continually-changing needs of a devised piece of theatre, and a willingness to get your hands dirty when necessary.

During Phase 1, many of the Designers will be heavily involved in the rehearsal process as we explore a theatrical vocabulary that draws on physical expression and potent stage images. A palpable presence and hands-on approach to the work are essential. As such, attending at least 3 rehearsals per week (if not more) and any/all production meetings (held on mutually agreeable days/times) will be necessary. Seeing as this workshop will be a group-authoring process, Designers will be responsible for acquiring/constructing any design elements we want to experiment with in the room. Qualified candidates will have experience with devised theatre, immersive theatre, and/or related aesthetics. Experience with dance theatre, opera, film, visual art, and other performance/artistic disciplines could prove useful. The Designer role will continue to develop as we move into “Phase 2” -- a more traditional production process leading to a full-scale production.

Schedule: Production meetings will begin in mid-April. Phase 1 will begin on/around April 26th, and wrap-up no later than May 22nd. Tentative schedule is: Saturday & Sunday 11am-6pm; Monday OFF; Tuesday-Friday 7:30-10:30pm. Subject to change and potentially flexible based upon the company’s needs.Compensation: $200 for Phase 1, including the presentations, if Sound Designer is also a Composer - if the Sound Designer is NOT a Composer as well, compensation is $150 for Phase 1. Compensation increase is possible, pending funding.

TO APPLY: send a resume & cover letter detailing your interest and experience to TheUntitledGinsbergProject@gmail.com with “Sound Designer” in the subject line. Please include your schedule/availability for April-May.

For more information about THE UNTITLED GINSBERG PROJECT, its goals, the artistic team, projected timeline, and more, go to: www.ginsbergproject.org